Castle Point

Castle Point's population grew older between the last two censuses. At the same time there were changes in housing tenure.

The population passed 88,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Castle Point increased by 1.6%, from just over 86,600 to 88,000.

The addition of just over 1,400 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Castle Point was home to, on average, 14 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Castle Point

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Castle Point increased by four years, from 41 to 45 years.

This affluent area had a higher average age than Eastof England and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 3,500 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by almost 3,000.

About 15% of people in Castle Point are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Castle Point by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in considerably limiting disability

The percentage of Castle Point residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.2% to 4.3% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

The proportion who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.2%, while the percentage of Castle Point residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 90% to 89%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 2.7% in 2001 to 3.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability in Castle Point increased by 1.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Castle Point, Eastof England and England that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Castle Point at a faster rate than in nearby Rochford.

In Castle Point, the proportion of private renting increased from 5.1% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Rochford increased from 4.9% to 8.5%.

Across Eastof England, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.6% to 15%.

The rate of social housing in Castle Point fell from 5.6% to 5.4%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 88% to 83%.

Private renting in Castle Point increased by 5.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Castle Point, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Castle Point residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.2% to 5.7% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (80%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 69% in 2001. The percentage of Castle Point residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23% to 15%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 7.6% in 2001 to 4.7% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Castle Point decreased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Castle Point, Eastof England and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Castle Point

The number of people in Castle Point from the White ethnic groups remained close to 85,000 between the last two seasons. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 98% to 97%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across Eastof England (from 95% to 90%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Castle Point from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just under 820 in 2001 to about 1,000 in 2011 (from 0.9% to 1.2%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 510 to about 910 (from 0.6% to 1.0%).

About 660 people (0.2%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 170 in 2001 (0.8%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Castle Point decreased by 1.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Castle Point by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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